1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to electrically-powered vehicles and, more specifically, to an Electric Vehicle Having Exchangeable Battery Modules and Method of Resupply Therefor.
2. Description of Related Art
The rate of growth of electric vehicles has become exponential in recent years. With regard to electric passenger cars intended for use on standard vehicle byways, two general classes of vehicle propulsion systems have evolved: pure electric vehicles, and so-called hybrid electric vehicles. The instant invention relates to pure electric vehicles, or vehicles having their propulsion provided only by electric motor and onboard batteries.
Conventional all-electric vehicles differ in sizes, body styles and cost, but there are several elements that are consistently found in all such vehicles:                Cost—rechargeable batteries of the type acceptable for use in electric vehicles are extremely expensive. As a result, most electric vehicles cannot compete with gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles because the equivalent electric vehicle will cost at least fifty (50) percent more. While the operating cost of an electric vehicle is substantially lower than an internal combustion vehicle, the upfront cost for the conventional all-electric vehicle is so high that the typical user will never reasonably recoup the cost.        Range limitation—while the onboard batteries in the conventional all-electric vehicle will allow the vehicle to achieve highway speeds, their size, weight and cost generally limit the number of batteries that can feasibly be installed within a vehicle. In the case of virtually all conventional all-electric cars, the car will only be able to travel approximately one hundred (100) miles between recharges.        Recharge requirements—the short-range nature of the conventional all-electric vehicle makes it virtually mandatory that the user recharge the vehicle at least daily. A high-power (240 VAC) battery charger can generally give a full charge to the onboard vehicle batteries in less than an hour. The problem is that these types of stations are not the norm—usually the user charges the vehicle at home during the evening. The typical home charging station is 120 VAC, and it will require up to four (4) hours for a full recharge.        
Usage pattern—there is a cultural complication related to a user's transition from an internal combustion vehicle to an all-electric vehicle. The driver of an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle can drive virtually as far and as long as they like. Refueling stations are widely available and open for business so that refueling is generally a relatively short pause in any driving trip. In contrast, the short range capacity of the all-electric vehicle, coupled with the need for regular recharging, means that the user of these types of vehicles really has to change the way in which they use the vehicle. The user of the conventional all-electric vehicle must either stick to a confined, regular, short-distance route, since at least an hour recharging session is required for every 100 miles driven.
What is needed is an all-electric vehicle and replenishment system that allows a driver to emulate the driving pattern and ownership cost of an internal combustion engine-powered vehicle without the prohibitively high upfront cost.